BJP insulting martyrs like Karkare, says Owaisi

Hyderabad, April 19 : AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday alleged that the BJP is insulting martyrs like police officer Hemant Karkare who died fighting terrorists during the Mumbai 26/11 attack.

Reacting strongly to Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur's remark that former Mumbai Anti-Terrorist Squad chief Hemant Karkare had treated her badly and died because of her "curse", Owaisi, in a tweet, said "Hemant Karkare died fighting people not very different from yourself.

Thakur, the prime accused in 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case, alleged that Karkare falsely implicated her in the case.

Karkare was heading the probe into the blast that killed six people and injured over 100. The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) had arrested Thakur and others belonging to a Hindu extremist group on October 24, 2008.

A little over a month later, Karkare was killed while fighting terrorists who had attacked Mumbai.

In May 2016, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in its charge sheet filed in Malegaon case gave clean chit to Thakur. She was later granted bail on health grounds.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded her from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh against Congress party's senior leader Digvijaya Singh.

"Elections are elections, not dharmayuddha. But how's BJP to know that? They make everything a question of dharma/astha as if that's what'll create jobs. What if a 'daadhi-topiwala' Asad had said this is jehad? Wonder which pole he'd be hanging by by now," he asked.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief also castigated the BJP for fielding the terror accused. "A terror accused has been rehabilitated by BJP. The brazenness of must be astounding to outsiders; but we are discussing it like it is routine political strategy This is the BJP's 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism," tweeted Owaisi, who is seeking re-election from Hyderabad for a fourth consecutive term.